BravePicks 2017 - SEPULTURA's Machine Messiah #24

December 8, 2017, 3 months ago

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Another gruelling year of heavy metal mastery is almost over! And all the votes are in and the compiling is complete! It's time to celebrate the winners and call out the not-so winners! So who will be our #1? You’ll find out as we count down the BravePick Of 2017 throughout December! And once again our devout scribes put their collective metal minds together to build the ultimate lists including individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments, Top 3 Concerts, What/Who Needs To Stop In 2018? and Metal Predictions For 2018. All will be showcased come the New Year!

'Tis the season to commence the good, bad and ugly of 2017! Let’s rock!

BravePicks 2017

24) SEPULTURA – Machine Messiah (Nuclear Blast)

There seems to be a love/hate relationship with the Derrick Green-led version of Sepultura. Being the vocalist for almost 20 years now, fans still pine for a reunion between with Max Cavalera. Newest platter Machine Messiah silences those voices with their best release in years offering a more varied listening experience. The proggy, intricate album artwork almost ensured a more detailed, focused delivery from Brazil’s best export. All hail the (Machine) Messiah!

BraveWords’ David Perri commended the lads on the album in his review stating, “Though it might be the strongest Sepultura album since Roots, when you think about it, what does that even mean given what we’ve heard since then? Machine Messiah once again takes the angular path but, to its credit, incorporates interesting influences that elevate it from the rest of the post-1996 Sepultura discography, including symphonic elements on ‘Resistant Parasites’ and ‘Sworn Oath’ as well as the jazzy, cinematic introduction of ‘Phantom Self’.”

Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser told BraveWords’ Kelley Simms in his feature story the band was not afraid to take risks. “You have to leave the risk factor always there, otherwise you wouldn’t do anything new and you’ll just be copying yourself,” Kisser explained. “To take risks is art itself. We had to plan to build expectations and to be more musical and to explore our musicianship at the highest level. Also, changing producers (Jens Bogren) and going to a different studio in a different country are factors that are well thought that will influence what you’re going to do. At the same time, you have to leave the free spirit open. It was the right choice to do an album like this with the sound and all the details.”